Washing machine



April 1, 1952 c. o. RASMUSSEN 2,591,290

WASHING MACHINE Filed Jan. 21, 1947 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 6 J i /5 i I 1* I y 1 EB "/9 1-H 6 37X 'yni INVENTOR. 0 afimmmsm April 1, 1952 c. o. RASMUSSEN 2,591,290

WASHING MACHINE Filed Jan. 21, 1947 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR. 5.9 72 MJ'J/Z Patented Apr. 1, 1952 WASHING MACHINE Christian Oskar Rasmussen, Copenhagen, Denmark, assignor to Simplex, Copenhagen, Denmark, a Danish company Application January 21, 1947, Serial No. 723,260 In Denmark October 5, 1946 Claims. 1

Washing machines are known provided with a removable drying drum with vanes for drying articles which have been washed, the drum rotating on a vertical shaft in a cylindrical casing, and being driven by an air current from a centrifugal blower placed in the upper part of the casing and preferably in the lid thereof. In such washing machines the vanes of the drying drum are placed on the upper side of a plate which may be fastened to and thus act as a lid for the drum. This plate must be removed and returned whenever the machine is in use. In other washing machines the air from the centrifugal blower is directed downwardly along the inner side of the machine casing and then upwardly through vanes on the outer surface of the drying drum. In the latter case it is, however, difficult to obtain the requisite degree of closeness between the ends of the vanes and the surrounding, stationary casing and consequently a considerable loss of energy results.

The object of the present invention is to provide a machine in which this disadvantage is obviated by having a number of curved vanes placed in the path of a current of air induced by a centrifugal blower, said vanes being disposed internally along the rim of the drying drum. Thus, all of the air from the blower must impinge directly on the vanes of the drum, and at the same time the blower may be encased in the lid.

The vanes of the drum may be mounted and formed in the most suitable way, so as to cause the drum to rotate with maximum efficiency.

Thus, the vanes of the drum, according to the invention, receiving the air in their inner ends, may discharge air from their outer ends or their lower sides or from both these ends and sides. If the air leaves the vanes entirely or partly from their outer ends, the drum must be provided with air openings known per se, in order that the air may pass through the drum to return to the centrifugal blower.

The drawing shows some embodiments of a washing machine constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view partly in elevation showing the device when in use as a washing machine;

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the device when in use as a dryer;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the parts stored when not in use;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view partly in elevation showing part of another drum with vanes open inwards and downwards; and

Figure 5 is a similar View showing part of a third drum with vanes open inwards, outwards and downwards.

The machine consists of a cylindrical casing I, with removable lid 2, into which has been built an electric motor 3, with a vertical shaft 4, at the lower end of which a centrifugal blower 5, with conical casing 6 is fitted. Immediately below the blower 5, in order to capsule the same entirely, a plate 1 is fastened to thelid, said plate 1 being provided with a central, conical recess 8, in the centre of which the necessary opening for admission of air to the blower 5 has been provided, and having peripheral openings for discharge of the air from the blower 5.

The machine may be used both for washing and drying.

When the machine is to be used for washing articles, an internal open-bottom cylinder I0, with lid l l which fits airtight on a packing sleeve l2 on the upper edge of the cylinder 10, is placed in the machine, its legs resting on the bottom of the casing I and spacing the cylinder ID from said bottom as shown on the left side of Fig. l, and the machine is filled with water. Before the lid H, is put in place the interior of the machine is filled with articles to be washed, and when the lid ll of the cylinder [0, and the lid 2, of the machine have been put in place, the blower 5, will in manner known per se, keep an air current circulating as indicated by the arrows, and the air will bubble up through the washing water giving rise to a mechanical cleaning action in the articles being washed. Through a central opening IS, in the lid H, the air is sucked to the blower 5, and again impelled out under the plate 1.

When the machine is to be used for drying the washed articles, it is emptied of the articles, the water is discharged through a bottom cock l4, and the cylinder II], with its lid H, is removed. Then a post I5 is fitted into a bearing in a tripod l6 seated on the bottom of the casing l, and a drying drum I8 is inserted into the casing I and mounted on a bearing 11, on the upper end of the post l5. Internally along its rim the drum [8 is provided with a number of curved vanes 19, so placed relative to the plate 1 that the air current from the blower 5 will impinge horiontally on the vanes [9, which are formed in such as way as to cause the drum l8 to rotate with the maximum efilciency and at such a rate that the water will be thrown out of the washed articles placed inside the drum l8 through a slit 20, along the bottom of the drum I8 and will drain down into the bottom of the machine casing I. After drying the dried articles are removed from the drum 18. The drum I8 is so dimensioned as to leave sufficient space around it so thatthe cylinder In, with lid ll, may be placed .in the machine casing, with the drum [8 nested in the cylinder I0, so that the machine containing the cylinder Ill and the drum E8 will take up a minimum of space when not in use.

On the drum I8, shown on the righthand side" of Fig. 1, the vanes 19 are open inwardly and outwardly, and in this-case as well as in the case of the other figures, arrows indicate the. course of the air current. The air flows downwardly outside of the drum I8, and returnsup- 1 wardly through holes 2 l, in the inner wall, 22 of the drum I8. 7 V

In Fig. 4 the vanes l9 are open inwardly and downwardly. In order to prevent articles being dried which have been placed in the drum l8 from being held by the vanes I9, the vanes l9 may on their inner side be covered by a largemesh screen, e. g. a wire netting, 23. Fig. 5 shows a drum 18, the vanes 19 of whic 1 will separate the flowing air .into two currents which will take the courses of the air currents -shown in Figs. 1 and 2, respectively.

Havingnowdescribed. my invention what -I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters :Patent is:

'1. In a washingmachine, the combination of a casing; a removable cover for said casing; a

fan'suspended from said cover; .a cylindrical drum having 'a bottom rotatably mounted in said casing and an open top,-into which said fan de- -Lpends whensaid cover is upon said casing; and a plurality of curved, inwardly projecting vanes formed on the inner upper edge of said drum, said vanes being disposed peripherally of said fan when said cover is upon said casing.

2. A washing machine, according to claim 1, in which said drumhas, for each of said vanes, a discharge port for the current of air impingingupon said vanes, said ports discharging exteriorly of the upper end of the drum.

drum, and the other port of each pair discharging interiorly of the upper end of the drum.

5. A washing machine, according to. claim 1, in

- which said drum has, for each'of. saidvanes, a

discharge port for the current of air" impinging upon said vanes, said ports discharging the air from said vanes.

' L CHRISTIAN" OSKAR' .RASMIS SEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of .record in the tile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name '"Date 1,602,463 Sparks et a1. 'Oct. 12, 1926 1,687,829 Clark Oct; 16,1928 1,848,785 Jung Mar: 8-, 1932 1,913,600 2,453,727 Rasmussen i 'lNov.' 16, 1948 

